It is known to use tension members, such as a roof and sidewall tension rods, to brace an industrial or commercial building to enable the building to withstand normal transverse loading (e.g., wind loads) as well as substantial seismic events. The tension members interconnect various structural members to resist "racking" (i.e., diagonal collapse) of the building when subjected to such loads. However, one drawback associated with the known bracing systems is that the bracing, or tension members, are attached to the structure by a fixed non-yielding connection. As a result, substantially all of the transverse loads, tending to cause "racking", must be absorbed by the tension members immediately as the load is applied to the building. If a tension member is subjected to a load beyond its yield strength, that tension member can readily extend to fracture with resulting potential catastrophic failure of the building. Consequently, the physical properties, i.e., its ductility, yield strength, and elastic limit, which contributes to plastic deformation characteristics of the material from which the tension member is made are important design considerations for ensuring that a building is able to withstand normal transverse loads. Materials having both high strengths and ductility have been preferred as they are able to withstand greater displacement before fracturing and thereby help to ensure that damage to the structure, as well as its contents, is minimized.
The Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,418, No 3,691,712, No. 3,793,790, No. 4,409,765, No. 4,605,106, No. 4,615,157, No. 4,727,695 and No. 4,910,929. None of these patents are particularly directed to increasing the transitory transverse overload bearing ability of diagonal tension rod reinforced rectilinear building structures to improve survival of, for example, substantial seismic events.